The Rangers currently have five defensemen under the age of
28 on their roster and two more top prospects on the way, so it’s very likely
New York will be looking to add some offensive firepower with its first-round
pick, No. 15 overall in the NHL Draft.

Between now and June 24th, we’ll take a look at some of the
forwards that the Rangers might be thinking about taking on draft
day. Today, we look at…

THN – “For an import, Rickard Rakell didn’t waste any time
finding his voice in Plymouth.Though he has traditionally been a right
winger, Rakell approached the Whalers coaching staff around Christmas and asked
to play center, fully aware of the extra responsibility the position
entails.Playing with fellow
draft-eligibles Stefan Noesen and Garrett Meurs, Rakell helmed a very effective
line.‘He’s a guy who works very hard on
both sides of the puck,’ said one scout.‘He’s very effective on the forecheck and he makes things happen on the
attack.’Rakell also impressed at the
world juniors in Buffalo,
playing a physical forechecking role for the Swedes and chipping in
offensively.‘He started out in a
secondary role and worked his way up,’ the scout said.Agile and evasive, Rakell can improve on his
speed, but his skating is not a concern.”

The Scouting Report – "Rakell is the type of players that coaches love to have, but
just lacks that offensive punch that would justify him going too much higher.
He will strike you as being a very smart, almost methodical player who appears
to think the game one step ahead of everyone else. He’s a very good player on
the forecheck and does a great job anticipating the play and disrupting passing
lanes. Very good defensive player who can play against any trio the opposition
throws out and won’t be liability in doing so. His offensive upside is the only
real question right now, as he doesn’t quite have the skills and offensive
instincts to be a major offensive threat."

Bruins 2011 Draft Watch – "We really dug this kid at the World Jr. Championship in
December, when he had to step up after the loss of Gabriel Landeskog against Norway. Rakell
was terrific in the preliminary round shutout against eventual champion Russia by being
active, abrasive and opportunistic on every shift. He may not have excellent
size or strength, but he plays bigger than his 6-foot frame and gets up under
bigger, stronger guys. Tenacious on the forecheck and smart- forces turnovers
and keeps his feet moving. Doesn't have elite breakaway speed, but is quick and
elusive. Rakell also plays a pretty disciplined style- he can get under
opponents' skin, but doesn't take a lot of penalties himself, often smirking at
the other guy as he heads off to the box. He's diligent in his work along the
boards and will take the puck into traffic and distributes pretty well. His
upside is a bit of a question mark right now, however. He scored 19 goals and
43 points in 49 games with the Whalers, missing the end of the season and part
of the playoffs with a lower body injury. Intelligent and energetic, he does
show flashes of some offensive potential, but may have to make his living on
the bottom two lines."

Corey Pronman – “Swedes coming over to the play in the CHL pre-draft have been a rarity, but aside from Landeskog, another talented Swedish forward came to the OHL in the form of the power winger Rickard Rakell. He's a solid skater who moves pretty fluidly and has an admirable motor to his game that sees him zoom up and down the ice. He's got below-average puck skills, but he does in fact flash beyond that level at times showing a tick above 50 in regards to passing and stick-handling, but other times he fumbles basic passes and shows no basic ability to create. He isn't going to score from mid-distances, rather using his well filled out frame and good battling technique to get goals from the high percentage areas. Rakell also shows equally good physical work along the walls. The defensive game is decent, and he does show notable work ethic on the back-check and fine positioning on the penalty kill. There's not a lot of upside here, but the frame, lower body strength, skating and intangibles point to a moderately projectable player.”

ESPN – “Rakell’s upside might top out at third-line but some scouts might think he
has a chance to develop into a second-liner at the next level. His work ethic
might be the best part of his game and that’s not a bad thing.”

Thoughts: By all accounts, Rakell did a nice job adapting to
the North American game this year after coming over from Sweden.He even switched from wing to center part-way
through the season and thrived in his new role.Those are both marks of a mature hockey player, but Rakell’s offensive
upside appears to be limited.In the
first round, he’d be a huge reach, but in the second round he might be a
steal.The Rangers need to take a shot
on a game-breaker, so Rakell may not fit the bill.

The Rangers already have Henrik Lundqvist from Sweden and Carl
Hagelin may make the team next season.They
have taken a bunch of players from the OHL in recent years and last used a
first-round pick on one in 2008 when they chose Michael Del Zotto.